The Korean Cultural Centre UK is excited to present “K-History Unlock”, a lecture series exploring Korean history through the lens of popular K-dramas and films. As interest in Korean cinema grows, this event offers a deeper understanding of the historical context behind these works. Dr. Anders Karlsson, head of the SOAS Centre of Korean Studies, … [Read More]
People in History: Crown Prince Sado
Selected publications
- June Hur: The Red Palace, Feiwel + Friends 2022
- Margaret Drabble: The Red Queen, Penguin 2004
- Hong Hyegyong, JaHyun Kim Haboush: The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong tr JaHyun Kim Haboush, University of California Press 1996
Book review: JM Lee – Painter of the Wind
In The Investigation (2012, English version 2014), JM Lee gave readers an historical novel combined with a course in poetry appreciation. Somehow, it didn’t work for us. In Painter of the Wind, Lee gives his readers an historical novel combined with a course in art appreciation and it works a lot better. The novel was … [Read More]
Book review: Yi In-hwa’s Everlasting Empire
Some time ago I watched Park Chong-wan’s 1995 historical mystery movie Eternal Empire on DVD, having purchased it on the strength of its inclusion in Darcy Paquet’s list of top films from the 1990s. I must have been tired when I watched it: I simply have no recollection of what I thought of it, though … [Read More]
Media showcase at the KCC: Lady Hyegyong’s 60th anniversary Uigwe
What a nice way to start the new year. From Tangible to Intangible: Kisa chinp’yori chinch’an uigwe showcase 9 – 22 January 2020 @ KCCUK Opening reception Thursday 9 January 6-8pm | RSVP required to [email protected] KCCUK is pleased to present a media showcase of ‘Kisa chin p’yori chinch’an uigwe’, a royal commemorative manuscript from … [Read More]
Lee Joon-ik’s The Throne: a familiar tale made a believable tragedy
The first of the KCCUK’s “Teaser Screenings” for the London Korean Film Festival 2016 took place on Monday in the presence of Director Lee Joon-ik and the recently-arrived Korean ambassador. The chosen film was The Throne (사도) – a movie which was #5 in the 2015 Korean box office and deals with an incident in … [Read More]
Event news: Lee Joon-ik’s The Throne screens at Regent St Cinema
Returning to the period movie genre that made him famous, Lee Joon-ik’s 2014 The Throne explores the life and death of Crown Prince Sado. As homework, you are strongly encouraged to read the memoirs of Sado’s wife, Lady Hyegyong, failing which Margaret Drabble’s The Red Queen, for a version of his life with which to … [Read More]
Bought for £10 from a Parisian cheese merchant, Lady Hyegyong’s Uigwe is now digitised
The Joseon court knew how to document things. And one of those court records, recently digitised and put online by the British Library, shows they also knew how to celebrate. The Uigwe – The Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty – were included in the UNESCO Memory of the World register in 2006. In its … [Read More]
A historical mystery that’s well worth a look
Eternal Empire (1995) – a nice-looking costume drama about murder and court intrigue in the Yi dynasty soon after the death of Prince Sado. One of Darcy’s top 10 K-films of the 90s. Not one of mine, but well worth a look. Does a secret royal commentary on the Confucian Classics contain heavily coded political … [Read More]
Margaret Drabble’s search for the Crown Princess
Jennifer Barclay, author of MEETING MR KIM: OR HOW I WENT TO KOREA AND LEARNED TO LOVE KIMCHI, reports from the Korean Cultural Centre on Dame Margaret Drabble’s lecture based on her novel THE RED QUEEN Dame Margaret Drabble, CBE DBE, looks elegant with her hair in a natural bob and a touch of red … [Read More]
Margaret Drabble: the search for the Crown Princess
A couple of years ago at the BAKS conference Margaret Drabble gave a fascinating talk about how she came to be captivated by the story of Lady Hyegyong, wife of Prince Sado. Sado was son of a king and father of a king, but never made it to the throne himself. Lady Hyegyong wrote her … [Read More]
The Shining Fortress part 2: its remarkable story.
by Matthew Jackson The story which surrounds the building of the Hwaseong fortress is an extraordinary one. The fortress was originally built as part of the new Suwon city, a project initiated by King Chongjo. King Chongjo (or King Jeongjo, depending on your preferred romanization) had been greatly devoted to his father, Sado Seja, who … [Read More]
The LKL Korea Trip 2009 pt 2: Suwon and Prince Sado’s tomb
Thursday 16 July Today the plan is to get a few UNESCO world heritage points: the Hwaseong Fortress at Suwon, followed maybe by the nearby folk village. From my base in Insadong, a one-hour tube journey direct from Jonggak station on Line 1 takes me to Suwon, armed with my guide books. A moment of … [Read More]
Conference report: the 2006 BAKS conference
The BAKS conference in Sheffield last week had a broad range of speakers. What follows is a personal response to the proceedings, and isn’t meant to be in any way an official account. I apologise to those speakers to whom I devote fewer words. No disrespect is intended. In any occasion like this, some talks … [Read More]
Jahyun Kim Haboush (tr): Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong
(California UP, 1995) The style of this takes a bit of getting used to (and this is attributable to the original author, not the translator), but the content is gripping. This is the autobiographical writings of a Korean crown princess – wife of the heir to the throne – and documents at first hand the … [Read More]
Margaret Drabble: The Red Queen
(Penguin, 2005) Inspired by the Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong. The first half is a re-telling of the original story with the benefit of an additional 200 years’ hindsight; the second half is set in modern times, in a story which echoes some of the themes of the original. The only part which stretches the credulity … [Read More]